“I saw them moving around a minute ago.”
“Did you see in which direction they headed?”
“I was kind of busy,” Annie replied.
A fresh hail of rifle bullets scored on the rooftop. This time two of them punched through the opening and tore splinters on the walls around Doc and Annie.
“Goddamn!” the woman roared, ducking instinctively. “Where the fuck did that come from?”
Doc scanned the line of attackers, searching for any that might be in position to shoot more properly at them. “There,” he said. “There is a sniper in the tree out beyond the perimeter you have blazed. To the left of the trail to the gates.”
“I see him, I see him.” Annie worked the cannon’s controls, elevating the muzzle as she racked another round into the chamber. She fired almost as soon as the cannon muzzle leveled.
The 20 mm round slammed into the treetop, tearing branches and the sniper loose. The dead man dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap.
“Excellent shooting, dear lady!” Doc stepped forward again and swept the inner courtyard for some sign of the companions. They couldn’t have left him. Could they?
Yet, at the same time, Doc knew he wouldn’t have blamed them. It had been his choice not to stay with them while they’d been camped out in the trading post.
“What’s on your mind?” Annie asked.
“My companions.” Doc peered out at the river, knowing Ryan’s first impulse would have been to get to the boat.
“I thought you were staying here.”
“Dear lady, as much as that thought warms the very cockles of my heart,” Doc told her as diplomatically as possible, “my future is surely bound in theirs as long as they have need of me.” And he still hadn’t completely given up hope of finding a way back to his own time, back to his family. Time trawling still existed in certain redoubts.
“Sorry to hear you say that.”
“But if there was a place in Deathlands where I would stay were things different…” Doc started.
“No need going on about it, Theophilus. You got your mind made up. I could tell yesterday when I was foolish enough to ask you to stay.” Annie threw up a hand and pointed. “There’re your friends.”
Doc peered across the inner courtyard and saw the companions running toward the main house.
“Not exactly what I had in mind when I outfitted them,” Annie said. “Figured at least they’d stand and fight with us.”
Anger surged through Doc, but he kept it in check. “Do not underestimate them, madam. Our boat lies in yonder direction. Ryan will not be leaving here without it.”
Annie glanced at him, not looking any too sure about his statement.
“DOC UP THERE.”
Ryan twisted his head, following the line of Jak’s pointing finger. He saw Doc in the rooftop opening of the main house, then lost him for a moment as the cannon blasted again. “Doc!” he yelled up.
“Yes, my dear Ryan!”
“Coming?”
“I shall endeavor to join you precipitously.”
Ryan shifted his gaze over to the woman. “Those people may decide to take the boat while they have the chance. I’m not going to see that happen. While Shaker and your people hold the front wall, we’re going to come up beside those bastards and shoot the hell out of them until we see a way clear to the boat.”
“That’s a dangerous piece of work,” Annie called back. “Be triple stupe to go out there.”
“Got to be done,” Ryan said, “if we’re going to save that boat. Don’t save that boat, we’re going to be in more trouble than we know what to do with. When you know we’re out there, ease up with that blaster unless you know for sure what you’re shooting at.”
“Count on it.”
RYAN LED THE WAY over the north wall at the back of the trading post, swarming up the ladder and using the rope J.B. had brought from the barn to lower himself over the side.
“Look out, Ryan!” Krysty yelled, opening up with her .38-caliber blaster.
Releasing the rope halfway up, Ryan dropped just as bullets cut the air over his head. Before the hollow sounds of the rounds smacking into the posts died away, Ryan was rolling across the ground, searching for the men who’d come up behind the trading post. He heard J.B.’s Uzi stutter to life, joining Krysty’s blaster.